


All You Gotta Do Is Ask

by Shinimegami



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Drabbles, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-29
Updated: 2015-10-08
Packaged: 2018-02-23 01:58:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 12,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2529797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shinimegami/pseuds/Shinimegami
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Basically a collection of small Kuroko no Basket drabbles that don't quite make it to fic status in my mind. Mostly fluff. I'm good at fluff. Also if I write drabbles for prompt challenges or events I'll probably put them here, but it's mostly random inspiration along with other stuff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Glass

**Author's Note:**

> I know I've prob. posted way shorter on their own but I think it's time to condense things down a little. 
> 
> Either way this'll probably be a bunch of self-indulgent crap again, but hey.

"Taiga-kun, I'm not made of glass. I won't break."

The words slipped from Kuroko in a huff, but Kagami wasn't sure if it was out of annoyance or because more and more they were both losing their breath as hands wandered and lips connected in deep, longing kisses. It actually took a second for Kagami to get what the hell Kuroko was getting at, his mind clouded with thoughts of how much he just wanted to _love_ the smaller boy who was sitting in his lap at the moment, but eventually it clicked. 

"Idiot! I know that!" Kagami bristled even though he was somewhat out of breath himself. It took a second but he calmed and gave Kuroko a concerned look. "Do…do you not like me being gentle with you?"

Kuroko paused and looked up through his bangs hanging in front of his face at Kagami before shaking his head and looking down. "No, it's not that. It's just I almost feel like Taiga-kun is afraid he'll hurt me. Sometimes I can't help but wonder if he somehow still thinks I'm weak, even after all this time." 

"Hey," Kagami breathed softly, moving his arm from around Kuroko's waist, to gently place his hand under his chin and direct that sky blue gaze back to his own. "It's not like that…Yeah, I mean, sometimes I feel clumsy and I'm trying to get better about that, but…when it comes to you…" 

Kagami sighed. How to phrase this? He wasn't good with words and now was no different but he'd try anyway. 

"You're not weak. You _are_ , however, the most precious person in my life. When I'm holding you, I am holding my entire world in my arms, and…I don't know. I wanna act like it. I handle you so carefully because…you're special to me and I guess I wanna make sure you know it. You know I'm absolute crap with words and feelings and stuff so I figured the only way to really get it across was to show you..."

He gave something at a wry smile at that sentiment and at himself for being so bad at this. "I guess I kinda messed that one up, huh?" Sure seemed like it since it didn't quite get across the message he'd been hoping, really. 

However, while he was kind of beating himself up mentally for what he considered to be him screwing up, Kagami almost missed the loving, slightly awed look on Kuroko's face before his partner threw himself deeper into his arms, burying his face into the crook of his neck, causing him to smile and wrap his arms back around the smaller boy, holding him close as he leaned back against the headboard of his bed. 

"Taiga-kun really is an idiot."

"HEY!"

"And I love him so very, very much."

Kagami couldn't help but give a soft laugh and nuzzle at Kuroko, holding him close with a whispered "I love you too." 

"Promise me something, though." Kuroko said softly, his words coming out a bit muffled from his current position in his arms. 

"Name it and it's yours, Tetsuya." 

"Sometimes…every once in awhile, Taiga-kun won't mind being a bit _less_ careful with me?"

Kagami felt his face heat up at bit at what Kuroko was implying, but he couldn't help but grin as he gave him a gentle squeeze. Alright. He could handle that. 

"All you gotta do is ask."


	2. The Moon and the Sun

"I don't really think you're a shadow…" 

The statement came out of nowhere as he and Kuroko laid in bed, Kuroko's head resting against his chest, his arms wrapped protectively around him. Kagami was known to blurt out what he was thinking from time to time, and he was exceptionally susceptible to it right before sleep, thoughts not staying thoughts, but instead coming out of his mouth more often than not. He guessed he just had no filter when he was sleepy. Especially when he was sleepy and content. 

"Of course not, Taiga-kun, that would be silly. Also impossible."

"I don't mean literally! I mean…I think you're more like the moon."

Kuroko tilted his head upward to look at Kagami with a slightly curious expression, prompting him to go on. 

"Well, the moon still reflects light from the sun, right? But even if that sun, that light wasn't there, the moon still would be. There wouldn't be anything to reflect, but it would still be there. Changing the tides." 

A small smile crossed Kuroko's lips as though he were getting the gist of what Kagami was saying, no matter how poorly phrased the taller boy might have felt it had been. 

"Taiga-kun can be deep sometimes." He finally said, moving back to snuggle against his chest. 

"I wasn't trying to be." Kagami admitted, feeling heat spread across his face, thankful for the dim light of the room and Kuroko's position so his partner couldn't see it. "Just…I dunno something that came to mind, I guess…" 

There was a thoughtful pause between them, Kagami's hand not ceasing in moving in aimless trails over Kuroko's arms, shoulders and back. Eventually it broke again when Kuroko spoke, his voice soft, sleepy, almost reflecting the warmth the two of them shared while they laid there together. 

"I think the moon is far better off with the sun, though." 

That caused Kagami to give a small smile. 

"Yeah?"

"Mmm. Without the sun, no one would notice it." 

Kagami had to admit, he was thrown for a loop with that, but it was a good kind of loop, a bit at a loss for words for a second. Instead, he gently leaned in and kissed Kuroko's forehead, closing his eyes and listening to the content hum that his partner gave in response.

Maybe nothing else needed to be said.


	3. A Few More Minutes (or, Taiga's Sleeping Bag)

As soon as Kagami's head hit the pillow, it was lights out. They were here for yet another training camp (by coach's careful planning, of course). This time in a small rented cabin in the woods, and both coach and captain had them all running impossible drills outside all day, only breaking for meals and showers at the end. By the time he'd laid down, every part of him was sore and tired, and he wanted nothing more than to sleep for ten years, even though he knew in a little less than eight hours, they'd all be up to do it all over again. Training was worth it, but it was hell sometimes, and as soon as Kagami's body found it's way into his sleeping bag, he was pretty much down for the count. 

However, at some point in the middle of the night, he was vaguely aware of his sleeping bag shifting and…growing a bit warmer. Instead of opening his eyes, Kagami, who was still half asleep at this point, settled for reaching out and bringing that source of calming warmth a little closer, letting it settle into his arms. Nothing in his brain clicked over telling him he should wake up and find out what the hell was going on, all he knew was that he wanted that warmth close and safe, and to go back to sleep, which was exactly what he did. 

The next time he woke up it was morning, Kagami hearing the stirring of his team, his classmates, the upperclassmen, and coach wandering around, sounding distressed about something. He wasn't sure what they were going on about but he was really tempted to yell at them to shut up so he could at least get five more minutes when he cracked an eye open to see familiar wild blue spikes sticking up in every direction underneath his chin. 

"…Kuroko?" He murmured looking down to find his small partner cuddled against his chest, eyes closed and breathing even. When had this happened? How had Kuroko managed to sneak into his sleeping bag without really waking him? Well…other than the obvious answer of course. He wasn't even upset, really, he was just kind of…impressed. 

Instead of waking Kuroko in his normally rough kind of way, Kagami gently lifted a hand to run through the mess of blue spikes that his partner always seemed to wind up with in the morning no matter what. With something of an inhale-like sigh, the smaller basketball player opened his eyes, sleepily focusing them on Kagami. "Good morning, Kagami-kun." 

"'Mornin'." Kagami mumbled, still slightly sleepy and mostly dazed from their current position. "How'd you wind up here?" 

"Mmm…I was cold last night." Kuroko admitted, moving to lean his head back against his chest, Kagami responding almost automatically by wrapping his arms around him and holding him close. His sleep-fogged brain was still trying to process that idea when Kuroko spoke again. 

"Also, Taiga-kun's sleeping bag is more comfortable than my own."

"How so? We practically have the same one." 

"Because Taiga-kun is in it."

Legitimately unable to come up with a response to that, Kagami couldn't help but give a small huff of a chuckle as he held Kuroko close, leaning his chin over his partner's head again, closing his eyes. He was about to go back to sleep, at least for a few more minutes, just enjoying how warm and comfortable it was to have his small partner curled up in his arms, when the noise from his teammates picked up again, Kuroko's name being called several times. 

"I think they're looking for you." He murmured to the boy in his arms. 

"A few more minutes won't hurt them." Kuroko replied in a hushed voice. Kagami didn't have the heart to disagree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The team never did find out where Kuroko had gone. By the time they found him he was already up and ready and claimed he had "Been there the whole time." which, when you look at it, isn't a lie.


	4. Kotatsu

Kagami wasn't sure he enjoyed winter in Japan very much. Back in California, people used to freak out when it got below 60 and break out the winter parkas and such, but here, the further it got into fall, going into winter, everything got colder, and the rain was slowly turning into a slushy ice mixture, chilling him to the bone on his walk home. 

This time, Kuroko was with him, and it seemed like he wasn't enjoying the cold any more than he was. His partner seemed to be almost drowning in his own winter coat, a scarf pulled up around his face, only his eyes visible along with a pink tinge on his cheeks and the tips of his ears. As they walked home, Kagami had grabbed Kuroko's hand and placed it deep inside his own coat pocket as they walked in an effort to give the smaller boy a little more warmth, but as the icy wind whipped around them it almost felt like something of a lost cause. Even with his slightly elevated body temperature, Kagami couldn't help but feel like every last bit of his body heat was being stolen with every cold blast of air. 

"Is it always this cold?" Kagami groused, thanking every single god he knew of that his apartment building was now coming into sight as they walked. 

"Mm…not really, at least not for this time of year." Kuroko said, the sound of his voice muffled by that scarf. "It does seem a bit unseasonably cold." To this, Kagami made a noncommittal hum, not sure if he could stop his teeth from chattering if he gave more of a reply than that until they got into his apartment.

Once they got into the building, Kagami couldn't help but give something of a sigh of relief. Thankfully the building he was in was a bit newer, so the insulation to it wasn't as non-existent as in some of the other buildings in Japan. Even so, before the start of winter, his father sent a little extra money into his bank account to buy a kotatsu, just in case his heating bills got a bit outrageous. Kagami was starting to think that maybe today would be a good day to break it out. 

They reached his apartment, and as soon as they both entered, they removed their coats, scarves, and shoes, and Kagami set about getting the kotatsu out. Seemed like it was definitely a good idea, because he hadn't missed Kuroko shivering and kind of hugging himself as he sat down on his couch. 

Kuroko tilted his head as he watched him set the table up, placing the heavy blanket over it. "Taiga-kun got a kotatsu?"

"Yeah, figured it was a good idea with winter on it's way." Kagami said, finally turning it on now that it was set up completely. "And today has been an absolute frozen hell so…" 

That statement trailed off as Kagami got underneath the blanket and sighed. It wasn't up to full heat yet, but it was getting there and it already felt amazing compared to the falling sleet and cold rain outside. He looked over at Kuroko expectantly. "Wanna join me?" 

Kuroko smiled and said nothing, but instead got up and joined him underneath the blanked, curling up against his side, giving a content hum that pretty much mirrored exactly how Kagami felt about the whole situation. The cold was steadily melting away and it was even warmer and more comfortable with Kuroko there. Kagami had wrapped an arm around his waist, keeping him close as they both just enjoyed the building warmth. 

"I'm finally starting to be able to feel my toes again." Kagami commented, Kuroko giving a soft chuckle in response. 

A few more minutes of comfortable silence and cuddling under the blanket, and Kagami held Kuroko against him tightly as he slowly leaned back to the point where they were now laying on the floor together, Kuroko's head pillowed against his chest, the blanket reaching up to about the middle of his chest, and covering Kuroko's shoulders. He was glad he sprung for the extra large blanket, when he thought about it. 

Kuroko didn't seem to mind the change in position at all, nuzzling into his chest, letting the warmth between them and the warmth from the heater seep into them further. Kagami was starting to wonder why they didn't have things like this back in the states, because coming in from the freezing cold to this was pretty much a slice of heaven. 

It was even better with Kuroko curled up against him. 

The comfortable warmth was starting to make Kagami a bit sleepy as he lazily placed a gentle kiss against Kuroko's forehead, a content sigh following. Everyone pegged him for a loud hothead, but honestly quiet moments like this could be something to live for. With some people, silence could be the most awkward, uncomfortable thing in the world, but with his small partner, it seemed natural, effortless. They didn't have to say anything, they could just soak up the presence of the other and that would be enough. For someone who was not so good with words, that was a blessing in itself, and Kagami supposed it said a lot about the both of them, and what they had. 

He wasn't sure how long had passed, but Kagami felt himself starting to doze off. He was unsure if Kuroko was doing the same, but he had a feeling he might be. After a moment or two of him wondering, Kuroko finally broke the silence, and confirmed that for him in one statement. 

"It's tempting, but we shouldn't fall asleep here."

Kagami yawned in response. "Why not?"

"We could shift in our sleep and wind up burning our legs on the heater." 

"Oh. Good point." 

"Also, it's said that if you fall asleep under a kotatsu, you can catch a cold." 

Kagami frowned. "I'm pretty sure that's just an old wives tale, but I suppose we shouldn't take any chances." 

"No." 

"What do you say we go take a nap for a little bit, then we'll get up and I'll make dinner?" 

"That sounds nice. Then we can get started on our homework."

Kagami couldn't help but groan at that, Kuroko giving him a nudge in his side, but without even half the power as he usually gave. 

"If Taiga-kun's grades fall any further he'll have to stay behind and make them up, and then where will our team be?"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Nap first, then dinner, then homework." Kagami finally begrudgingly agreed. 

With that, Kagami carefully sat up, and switched off the heater to the kotatsu, knowing that any longer and they'd both probably drift off anyway, all their plans thwarted. He turned and looked at Kuroko who was still laying down, the blanket tucked around him. "Ready?"

"Will Taiga-kun carry me?"

"What? What for?" Kagami frowned. God, his boyfriend was spoiled! Granted, that _was_ kind of _his_ fault but…

"Taiga-kun is warm, and I don't want to leave him, even for a second." 

Annnnd this was the reason said boyfriend was spoiled. When he said sweet things like that, Kagami just couldn't find it in him to argue. With a softening expression, and a sigh, Kagami moved out from under the blanket before gathering Kuroko in his arms, carrying him toward the bedroom in a bridal carry, his partner's arms around his shoulders, nuzzling into his neck. 

Maybe carrying him wasn't such a bad idea. 

"I pamper you, you know." Kagami said as he made his way down the hallway. 

"Mmm…I'm aware." Kuroko said, sounding almost kind of blissful in a way that made Kagami damn glad that he does spoil him, even if just a little. 

Kagami gave something of a sigh as he made his way though the bedroom door, closing it behind them.

"It's worth it."


	5. Hold This

"Hey, Kuroko, could you hold this for me?" 

Kuroko looked up from his book as he and Kagami made their way to school, blinking up at his tall partner. He had no idea what it was that Kagami wanted him to hold onto, but he supposed it was probably something from his school bag that he needed out of the way while he searched for something else. 

"Of course." He replied, his expression it's normal calm. He held up his hand to take whatever item Kagami needed him to hold, but instead, Kagami slipped his hand around his own, threading their fingers together. Kuroko felt his cheeks burn with a blush and he looked away for a moment, but at the same time he could almost _feel_ the grin Kagami was giving him. 

All the same, he didn't remove his hand from his larger partner's grasp, choosing to give it a squeeze instead, receiving a gentle one in return. 

"That was very clever, Taiga-kun." 

"I've got my moments." 

Kuroko finally got up the courage to glance over at Kagami, seeing that he was wearing a grin almost as bright and blinding as the sun itself, and he couldn't help but chuckle at how appropriate that seemed to be, smiling a bit himself as he gently leaning against Kagami's arm for a moment as the walked before straightening back up a little to take in the look on his partner's face once more. 

Now they were even, because they were both blushing.


	6. Quiet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to [kurokobun](http://archiveofourown.org/users/kurokobun) for the headcanon that made this drabble happen.

Kagami doesn’t bat an eyelash when Kuroko pads into the living room while he’s sprawled out on the couch flipping through TV channels, then climbs over him. He doesn’t question or really even move when his boyfriend, the smaller out of the both of them, lifts his shirt and crawls up underneath it, settling between his bare chest and the thin cotton fabric of his t-shirt. Instead, Kagami continues to try and find something decent on TV (good luck at this hour), remote in one hand, his other hand finding it’s way to Kuroko’s back, rubbing it in soothing circles and random patterns as Kuroko generally just makes himself comfortable under his shirt. 

Maybe it would seem like somewhat strange behavior from the outside, but honestly, this was pretty much normal for the both of them on a late evening together during the weekend. Sure, it might have been a kind of odd intimate action but the was also something so…natural about it that never caused him to even really stop and ask Kuroko what it was he was doing. Not even the first time he’d done it. Kagami was always one to follow his instincts, and when Kuroko did this, his first instinct was to just throw an arm around him and let him do as he pleased as he just continued on either watching TV, or reading a basketball magazine. 

Usually Kuroko would do what he was doing now, just resting his head on his chest, the rest of his body kind of fitted against his, the both of them taking up most of the couch. Sometimes Kagami could feel Kuroko laying soft, chaste kisses over his skin before settling in again, something that, even if he was otherwise occupied, would cause him to smile a little. Right now, though, Kuroko was resting against him, ear over his heart, some of his light blue hair peeking out of the collar of his shirt, tickling his chin. If he had his guess, a few more minutes like this and Kuroko would probably be soon fast asleep. It wouldn’t be the first time. Certainly wouldn’t be the last. 

And it was pretty nice, in Kagami’s opinion. 

Kuroko nuzzles at him a bit and Kagami continues to gently rub his back as he settled on leaving the TV on some kind of late night movie, some kind of black and white monster flick from a long time ago. He wasn’t really truly paying attention to it anyway, the comforting weight and warmth of Kuroko against him making him a bit sleepy too. Instead, Kagami kisses the top of Kuroko’s head that’s showing through the collar of his shirt, setting aside the remote and wrapping his other arm around him. He could hear Kuroko’s breathing growing even and steady, signifying that Kuroko was dozing off, just like he’d expected. Kagami couldn’t help but smile to himself and close his eyes. 

The last thing he notes before he drifts off himself is the fact that neither of them had to say a word. They just…understood. Kagami had treasured the fact that this silent way of communicating was kind of their thing before, but moments like this was where it stood out the most. It was hard to explain to anyone on the outside, but they had a way of talking to each other without having to say a word. He could understand entire sentences, entire paragraphs of what Kuroko meant just by Kuroko saying his name. Kagami wasn’t sure how common that was in other couples (didn’t really matter, he supposed), but to him, between them it seemed pretty special. 

Before long, the movie on the TV is completely forgotten, and Kagami’s hand rubbing Kuroko’s back slows to a stop as his own breathing grows deep and even. Tomorrow they’ll probably wake with backaches from sleeping on the couch, but falling asleep like this is much too nice for Kagami to have any complaints. 

He knows it’s the same for Kuroko.


	7. Breathe

In. 

Out. 

In.

Out. 

Slow breaths aligned. Heartbeats syncing up, coming to beat in a singular, calm pace. Tension slipping from muscles as a bare leg wraps around his hip, encouraging him to run his hand along it, encouraging it to skim up it’s thigh, over a small but firm backside, trailing up over and then along the arch of a spine as Kagami buries his face in Kuroko’s shoulder, just breathing him in, taking this moment for all he can. Kuroko’s fingers tangle in his hair, and Kagami can’t help but sigh, more tension leaving him, as the weight and stress of the day seems to fade into nothing. It seems to be the same for Kuroko, his body seeming to have gone lax and pliant under his touch. 

From the moment their naked bodies —far too tired to search for pajamas— hit the bed, they sank into this warm, comforting embrace, legs tangling together as the rest of the world slipped away. This had become something of a ritual after long, hard days. They’d both return home with a look on their faces that the other could read clear as day, knowing that something like this was exactly what they needed; each others' touch, the warmth of bare skin on bare skin, just a quiet moment spent together before they finally let sleep claim them both for the night. 

Sure, this could easily become sexual, when he thought about it. Well placed kisses against naked skin, the right touch, could send this moment spiraling into something much hotter, much louder, much more excited, much more uncontrolled, and while Kagami’s sure they would probably both enjoy something like that, neither of them make a move to change the pace. This simple, intimate moment, stays exactly that. That’s all they really need. That’s all they really want. Intimacy. Each other. And form that intimacy is taking right this second is wonderful all on it’s own. It’s more than enough. 

Kuroko seems to almost respond to this unspoken thought with a hum that coaxes Kagami to pull him closer, nuzzling into his shoulder as he runs his hand back down his back, over his behind, and down his leg, and then back up again in a pattern that seemed to soothe himself as much as was meant to soothe Kuroko. He nestles into the crook of his neck, forehead resting in the small space between neck and shoulder, the bridge of his nose resting against Kuroko’s collarbone, sighing again, this time though his nose, the only thought to drift through his mind being that this surely was what home feels like. Kuroko sighs too, and leans his head against his, fingertips still idly drifting through his hair, seeming to almost mirror the endlessness in the patterns that Kagami is making against his soft, warm skin. 

He tilts his head slightly and places a chaste kiss on Kuroko’s collarbone, and when he does, he can almost _hear_ and _feel_ the smile in his boyfriend’s expression when Kuroko makes a pleased noise and squeezes him in response, causing him to smile a bit too. 

Their breathing stays slow. 

In.

Out.

In. 

Out. 

Heartbeats in time. Consciousness starting to slip. Kagami’s hand slows in it’s tracks as he sleepily decides to settle for snuggling close now, his arm wrapping around Kuroko’s waist, knowing he won’t be awake for much longer like this, knowing that Kuroko’s not far behind because the fingers in his hair have stilled, twitching every once in awhile, but for the most part just resting, seemingly content with their location. Kagami lets his eyes drift shut, ready for sleep to take them both, ready for hours to pass like minutes, and to open his eyes again to see morning light, ridiculously spiked hair, and the sleepy smile of the one person who makes everything worth it. 

Their breathing deepens further. 

In.

Out.

In.

Out. 

Heartbeats lined up.


	8. Language

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt "LANGUAGE" for the [KagaKuro 60 min twitter.](https://twitter.com/kgkr_60min)

Kuroko was what one would call polite. Sometimes even polite to a fault. Really, it was just part of how he operated and who he was. He didn’t enjoy the idea of being rude, and the moments where he would break his own respectful speech were few and far between, and often only with good reason or cause. 

So maybe he would suppose it would seem a bit odd that he would find his boyfriend cursing in another language…exciting. Attractive, even, for the lack of a better word. 

Truthfully, it wasn’t that Kagami speaking English wasn’t already rather exciting to him in it’s own way. It was, but Kuroko wasn’t sure how to explain it really. Certainly, it wasn’t the language itself, but when Kagami was the one speaking it…it did things to him. Was it his voice? Maybe it was the fact that while Kuroko had fairly good marks in English in his classes, he still wasn’t _quite_ fluent enough to be able to follow completely when Kagami spoke at a normal speed in English, so eventually the words could become lost one after the other and the only thing Kuroko could focus on after a certain point in time was his voice. 

Kagami-kun did have a rather nice voice, after all. 

That said, while Kagami speaking English normally was enough to capture his attention, hearing him curse in English was a completely new story altogether. Despite his hotheaded nature, Kagami actually didn’t do it often. Actually, it only seemed to happen when he was caught up in a moment. A moment of victory against a strong opponent, where he’d have to catch himself and apologize to anyone who actually noticed. At those times, Kuroko wasn’t entirely sure it was the words as much as the triumph and joy in his voice that was attractive. 

Then there were moments of frustration, like when he was cooking in the kitchen and dropped something or when they were both doing homework together and he was working on a math problem that he’d failed to get right for the third time in a row. In those moments, those words would come out with a growl, irritation clear in his voice, but still somehow very, very attractive. The growl especially did things to him. Kuroko had to admit he might be forming a bad habit of trying to bother Kagami sometimes just to see if he could hear him speak like that. He didn’t do so _too_ often, but every once in awhile, temptation would get the better of him. 

However, Kagami would curse on _other_ occasions, instances that were much more desirable to Kuroko than bothering him to the point of aggravation. These were moments where he was straddled in Kagami’s lap, Kagami’s arms around his waist, squeezing him close, trying to remove almost all space between them as they kissed. These words would slip out in a huff of breath between kisses, almost whispered, and every single time it made a shiver trail up Kuroko’s spine. Kagami always sounded so caught up in what they were doing, sounded like he couldn’t believe they were here like this, and Kuroko found himself treasuring every reverently whispered ‘fuck’ that slipped from Kagami’s lips and spilled onto his own. 

Sometimes, in times like this, Kagami would forget himself completely, looking up at Kuroko as he sat in his lap with something of an awed look, and murmur “Fuck, you are so beautiful…” before moving to capture his lips with his own once more. This happened maybe only a couple times, and at first Kuroko didn’t understand anything other than the curse itself and the tone in which it was being delivered. It wasn’t until he looked it up later that he’d truly understood when Kagami had said in English, and in all honesty that was the moment that Kuroko _truly_ understood the whole concept of the feeling of ’butterflies in your stomach’.

That was also the moment he decided that out of everything, he liked Kagami’s breathless, almost reverential curses the best. 

It seemed almost kind of funny, someone who was so habitually polite liking that type of thing in their partner, but Kuroko supposed that was something that made Kagami who he was. It was another part of him that, somehow, he’d come to adore. It was, in all honesty, Kagami completely unguarded. Sure, Kuroko was pretty good about reading his light at this point, and Kagami wasn’t prone to really being any good at hiding himself in the first place, but these moments were one hundred percent him without any filter. Maybe that’s why Kuroko found them so attractive. Maybe it wasn’t the words themselves but the way they were said. 

All the same, he supposed that maybe it didn’t need explanation. Maybe it defied it. 

Didn’t matter, he supposed. Kuroko could be polite enough for the both of them in Japanese, at least.

All while treasuring Kagami’s not-so-polite tendencies.


	9. Moving In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for [KagaKuro week 2015](http://kagakurominievents.tumblr.com/post/130070915456/tiny-reminder-that-kgkr-week-is-next-week-be). Prompt B: college/university.

Kagami groaned as he set down a cardboard box, filled to the brim with kitchen supplies, before straightening back up and rubbing his lower back. He was in pretty good shape but they’d been at this literally all day and his muscles were starting to get sore. They were done though, at least with moving things in. That box was the last of them. 

“Tetsuya?” He called, wondering where his boyfriend could have gotten off to. The last time he saw him, he was hauling some of the lighter boxes into the bedroom. 

“Yes, Taiga-kun?” The sound of his voice came from behind him, startling him and making him jump. Kuroko didn’t sneak up on him nearly as much as he used to but he still managed to surprise him every once in awhile. 

“Ah! Geeze, don’t do that!” He said, turning to Kuroko, who blinked up at him with his normal, calm expression. Kagami shook his head. 

“Nevermind. Did you get those boxes into the bedroom okay?”

“Yes, I’ve unpacked most of the items for the bathroom, and put sheets on our bed.” 

Kagami sighed, kind of relieved in a way. That was at least one thing done. He wasn’t looking forward to unpacking everything, but that was just part of moving. Wasn’t like he hadn’t done it before. He was just glad his dad had offered to pay for a moving company for the larger things like their bed and the couch. He was strong, but he couldn’t move all that stuff by himself, and Kuroko could only handle so much, even with his help. 

“Well, I just hauled in the last of the boxes. Only thing left to do is unpack everything.” Easier said than done, he supposed.

Kuroko gave him a small smile in reply and Kagami couldn’t help the warm, fluttering feeling in his chest. 

“We should probably get started on a few things, then.” 

“Yeah.”

It was their first year of college and Kagami supposed it was no surprise that they’d both chosen the same school. He’d gotten many offers to go to American schools, many of them wanting him to come play on their basketball teams, but he’d made the decision to stay in Japan. His life was here now, and even if he was used to living in America, he wasn’t about to leave what he had. He’d still managed to find a school with a fairly decent basketball program anyway. As long as he got to play basketball, and stay where he felt he belonged best, Kagami was happy with that. 

Kuroko had chosen this college because of their teaching program. When he looked at it, Kagami supposed he wasn’t really all that surprised. He’d always been really good with kids, and the school they’d chosen had one of the best education degree programs in the country. He had no doubt in his mind that Kuroko was going to be an incredible teacher, even though it was kind of regrettable that the strict course work wouldn’t allow any time for Kuroko to play basketball on the team with him. 

That was okay though, they’d make time to play between classes, Kagami was sure. Honestly, the fact that they got to stick together was a bonus on top of all the other reasons they’d picked this particular university. Kagami knew they would have been fine if they’d both chosen different schools—they would have still made time for each other if they had—, but in all honesty, he was kind of relieved that they’d decided to go to the exact same place. 

With a new school, though, came moving into a new place. They’d come to the decision to move in together in a new place after they’d both gotten a letter telling them that they’d been accepted into school. It would have been nice to keep his old apartment from high school, it was big and it had a really great kitchen, but it was just too far away from where they were going to school. It wouldn’t have made much sense to stay there, even if they both would have liked that and moving Kuroko in would have been much easier than moving all their things into a new place. That said, this new place was just as nice. Maybe a bit smaller, but that was okay. It would be just the two of them, after all. 

However, it didn’t start to sink in that this apartment was _theirs_ until Kuroko started to unpack some of his stuff. 

Kagami was in the middle of unpacking some things in the kitchen, moving into the living room to grab another box of pots and pans when he spotted Kuroko unpacking a box full of books, putting them up on a bookshelf against a wall in the living room. He paused and watched as Kuroko pulled some of his many books, carefully placing them on the shelf before looking it over and then rearranging them again. 

This was really happening, wasn’t it? 

He continued to watch intently as Kuroko pulled out a trophy given to Seirin during that first Winter Cup, something the basketball club had collectively decided to give to them when they graduated, and set it carefully on another shelf above some of the books. Kagami couldn’t help but smile at that. Yeah, that was a pretty good spot for that, wasn’t it? Right where everyone could see. 

It was hitting him hard. This was really happening. They were going to share their lives together in this little apartment. 

Don’t get him wrong, he wasn’t expecting for college to be easy, and he had to keep his grades up in order to stay on the basketball team but…just seeing Kuroko’s things mixed with his own…along with things they shared, made him feel warm inside. 

It was almost overwhelming. A good kind of overwhelming, but still overwhelming nonetheless. 

“Tetsuya?” 

Kuroko turned and looked at him, blinking with a curious expression. “Yes?”

Kagami’s heart pounded and he almost forgot what he’d wanted to say. Truth was, he had about a million things he _actually_ wanted to say. He wanted to say how glad he was that they were allowed to be together, how the idea of sharing this space was actually comforting, how he hoped that they would stay like this for much longer than just college…all those things, but seeing Kuroko pause in his task like that, Kagami figured he should allow them both to get settled first instead. There’d be time to tell Kuroko all the embarrassing, heartfelt things he wanted to say later. 

“Ah, we still have to go grocery shopping so while I’m unpacking the kitchen now I don’t think I’m going to be able to cook tonight…” 

Kuroko gave him a fond smile. “That’s okay. We can order out tonight. Maybe we can take a trip out to the grocery store tomorrow?” 

Kagami nodded, returning that fond smile with an affectionate one of his own. “Sounds good. Oh, by the way…the bookcase looks really nice already.” 

Kuroko’s smile grew a bit at that, and so did the warmth in Kagami’s chest. 

“Thank you, Taiga-kun.”

He felt his face heating up a bit as he leaned down and picked up a box of pots and pans to put away in the kitchen, heading in that direction. Tonight, he’d order a pizza or run out and pick up something, and he’d curl up with Kuroko on their couch and…tell him all the sappy things he’d been thinking. He had a feeling that even if Kuroko gently teased him about it, he wouldn’t mind one bit.


	10. Insecurity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for [KagaKuro Week](http://kagakurominievents.tumblr.com/post/130070915456/tiny-reminder-that-kgkr-week-is-next-week-be), prompt B: Promise.
> 
> This one is a little different than what I usually do which is write for an established relationship. This is before they got together, I think. Either way, enjoy!

Even with everything he’d faced, Kuroko wasn’t sure if he would describe himself as brave. He had insecurities and worries just like anyone else, even though he was sure some might insist that the idea of taking on some of Japan’s strongest basketball prodigies was something of a brave act in itself. 

The truth was, something like that was easier to face when you weren’t alone. He had Seirin by his side when he went to face the Generation of Miracles to make them acknowledge his style of basketball. Having a strong base, friends and teammates surrounding him, helping him rebuild something that had been all but destroyed, had made all the difference. He didn’t do this alone. 

This wasn’t to say he hadn’t gotten stronger. He had. It was slow, gradual, but with practice, drills, training camps, and afternoons and evenings spent out on the court _outside_ of practice, he’d slowly gained more stamina, muscle slowly building to the point where he couldn’t really joke about not having guns anymore. However he hadn’t truly noticed this until he’d paused in the mirror one morning and realized that while he was still thin, all the training had built lean muscle, cutting hard lines into him. After that morning, he’d started to notice other things. He kept up with the others when he ran, he passed out less, his passes were even stronger—sometimes to the point where only certain teammates could catch them—… He’d definitely become stronger in his time with Seirin. 

Even with this change becoming more and more evident by the day, Kuroko still had his insecurities. He was stronger but was it enough? He’d grown as a basketball player, but so had everyone. Kagami especially. 

His light had always been strong, even from the day he’d met him. Coach had even said herself that she couldn’t see the end of his potential, even with her trained eye. It’d always been more about focusing that strength into something that could work with their team, something that they could link up together and create a new force entirely. Kuroko knew from the start it would be a challenge to keep up with him, and there were times he’d been worried that he’d be left behind, but Kagami always found a way to keep them together as light and shadow, something he was thankful for. 

Now there was a question existing in his mind, now that they’d beaten the Generation of Miracles and won the Winter Cup. Now that they had achieved the goals they’d set out to accomplish, would they stay together? Or would Kagami surpass him and leave him behind? It was an irrational question, he supposed. After everything they’d been through, it wouldn’t make much sense for Kagami to turn the other way. It would negate almost everything they’d worked for. However, no one had ever said that insecurities were the most rational things on the planet. Maybe it was the past coming back to haunt him, but sometimes he worried that maybe his best wouldn’t be enough to keep up. There was still a chance that Kagami could leave him behind and everything would fall apart as it had before.

It was a bright afternoon at the start of their second year, he and Kagami playing on a court near the school after practice. Kagami was still easily beating him in one on one, even if you could say he was giving him a run for his money, far more than he had when they’d first played one on one against each other when they’d met. He had possession of the ball, but stopped suddenly, looking at it in his hands. Kagami stopped too, looking at him with a bit of curiosity. 

“Kuroko?” 

He looked up from the ball at his light, the full weight of the idea of being left behind hitting him suddenly. He paused a moment before speaking, trying to find the words to explain. 

“Kagami-kun…have you ever wondered if maybe you’ve reached as far as you can go?” He asked softly. Kagami appeared even more confused. 

“What? Well…no not really. There’s always room to improve, right?” 

“Maybe so, but…sometimes I wonder if maybe I have reached my limit.” 

“What are you talking about? Of course you’ll get stronger. Look at how far you’ve come!” Kagami replied, his simple nature coming through in the statement. 

Kuroko hummed thoughtfully, looking at the ball in his hands again. He heard Kagami sigh and he lifted his head as his partner moved over to him, reaching out and ruffling his hair. 

“Look, I know you’re worried, especially with the fact that winning in the Winter Cup has made you more noticeable, but everyone hits plateaus, right? You’ve pushed past them before. I like to think after a year spent together, I know you pretty well. You’ll figure something out. You’ll get stronger physically too. But you’re pretty much already the strongest person I know…inside I mean…” 

It was clumsily phrased, as was Kagami’s way, but the meaning wasn’t lost. He’d actually hit Kuroko’s fears like a nail on the head, but helped calm them all at the same time. Only Kagami. 

“Kagami-kun, will you promise me something?”

“What’s that?”

“That…no matter what happens, you won’t lose faith in me?”

Kagami’s expression softened, but he gave him a small smile. 

“Never. I know we’ll be the best in Japan again.”

Kuroko smiled as words Kagami had said many times before rang through his mind. 

_It’s not want. We will be._

He was right. Maybe sometimes he just needed to be reminded. 

“Now, are we playing or what?” Kagami gave him a grin that could rival the sun itself in brightness. 

Kuroko nodded. 

“Yes.”


	11. He Believed In You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for [KagaKuro Week](http://kagakurominievents.tumblr.com/post/130070915456/tiny-reminder-that-kgkr-week-is-next-week-be), prompt A: Faith.
> 
> This particular prompt gave me a hell of a time. I wanted to kind of rewrite the scene in Episode 20 in the first season to include more of Kuroko’s internal dialogue. Everything else went as it did in canon. Obviously this is another pre-relationship drabble.

“But if you really don’t think you can do it, you should at least tell Kagami.” 

Kuroko watched as his captain aimed to make another shot, sinking it in almost effortlessly. 

“He believed in you.” 

Originally, Kuroko had come here with the intention of telling Hyuuga that he may have reached his limit, asking him to remove him from a starting position on the team, something that Hyuuga had refused outright. Kuroko wasn’t so certain that he was surprised at this, but what he’d just said admittedly caught him off guard. 

Blue eyes went wide as the captain turned, explaining that Kagami had come to him, saying that he was looking to put some space between the both of them. Not permanently, but for a little while so that they could both become stronger on their own, then pull their efforts back together. This was much different news than what Kuroko had been expecting. 

Right after their loss against Touou in the Inter High, Kagami had told him that what they were doing wasn’t working, and that they should split up. Kuroko had taken it to mean the worst. That he was being left behind again because the light he’d partnered up with had gotten so strong that he didn’t see any point in working together anymore. Weeks of frustration and sadness followed as Kagami was not only benched for a few games due to his legs, but also distanced himself a great deal and started to seem to play on his own. Kuroko had been at a loss for what to do, but just as he’d feared, it seemed that history may have been repeating itself, and he was about to be left behind again. Just as Kise had predicted shortly after meeting Kagami and playing against him. It seemed to Kuroko as though with their loss, Kagami had lost faith in him. 

It seemed that Hyuuga was telling him a completely different story, though. Kagami had just wanted to put space so they didn’t have to depend on one another so much. Relying on each other wasn’t necessarily a _bad_ thing, but if it became too extreme to the point where one couldn’t function without the other, then they’d never become the best in Japan, like they had been planning. They had to learn to function as their own individual players, but ones that could work together in the right situations. In his own way, Kagami realized this. He’d just failed to get that across to him in the locker room that night. Kagami was already terrible with words and tact, Kuroko knew, but he wondered if it was because he’d been so stunned at the loss against Aomine. 

Kuroko couldn’t blame him for that, everyone took that loss hard. In fact, Kagami might have taken it the hardest.

Kuroko stood there, stunned, listening to his captain explain what Kagami had told him as he moved to retrieve another basketball to practice yet another shot. 

“Just how awkward is he?” Hyuuga muttered, seemingly more to himself than to Kuroko as he lined up another shot.

He had to find Kagami. He had to find him and talk to him. Now.

“Excuse me. Thank you.” Kuroko said quickly before turning and breaking into a run, heading for the gym doors. 

“Are you sure you don’t need anything else?” Hyuuga called back, stopping for a moment. 

“Yes.” Kuroko called in return, heading out the door, pushing through them and running down the walk. Nigou barked after him, but Kuroko knew he could come back and get him once everything was said and done. He was safe there with Hyuuga.

He’d gotten better, but he still wasn’t necessarily a fast runner. In spite of this, Kuroko pushed himself to go as fast as he could go, wanting to catch up with Kagami, wanting to talk with him. It couldn’t wait. In all this time, Kagami had never lost faith in him, even when things were at their worst. Even when they’d lost the Inter High to Touou, Kagami still believed. Kuroko found himself just wishing that he’d been a bit more clear in his intent when he told him what they were doing just wasn’t working.

All the same, Kagami, in his own way, still trusted him, still had faith that he would get stronger with him so that they could come back together. Kuroko wished he’d seen it before. 

Admittedly, Kuroko had a few things he wanted to confess himself. He’d been rather selfish in choosing to help Kagami in the start, but it had blossomed into something much different. He’d wanted to ally himself with the strongest player Seirin had to offer so that he could show the Generation of Miracles that they were wrong, so he could force them to recognize his style of basketball. He’d been wrong in creating this idea of a dependency on each other. There should be more to it than that. This was a partnership and Kuroko had decided that it was time to come clean, apologize, and tell Kagami he finally understood what he was trying to do, and that he believed he was right. 

He didn’t want to make Kagami the best player in Japan. He wanted to _become the best with him and everyone else._

A smile spread across Kuroko’s face as he ran past storefronts, dodging people on the way effortlessly, not even sure if they noticed someone running past them. He barely registered Kiyoshi and coach sitting by the window in Maji Burger as he ran past, completely focused on finding Kagami. Just one more turn and the court he usually went to would be in sight. He couldn’t stop thinking about how Kagami still believed in him, still had faith that they could do this together. It was almost bigger than Kuroko could wrap his mind around. Not only did Kagami have faith that they could do this, but he had faith that Kuroko would get stronger all on his own and that they could pull together after, bringing something completely new.

Kuroko was not about to take that faith for granted.

His running slowed when he reached the fence, seeing a familiar, tall figure with red hair dribbling a ball and looking lost in thought. His own mind was a swirling mess of things, as Kuroko made his way through the court. It might take a moment to straighten it all out, but he had to make sure he could talk to Kagami first. 

“Kagami-kun!” He called, coming to a stop, panting, placing his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. 

Kagami stopped and turned to him. 

“Kuroko…” 

Upon seeing him, everything Kuroko wanted to say fluttered away for a moment and his mind went blank. It would take a moment to regather everything wanted, no, _needed_ to tell Kagami, but at least he’d caught up with him. 

Kuroko straightened up, looking Kagami in the eye.

It was now or never. 

It would be okay though. He had faith in Kagami-kun too.


	12. It Was You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for [KagaKuro Week](http://kagakurominievents.tumblr.com/post/130070915456/tiny-reminder-that-kgkr-week-is-next-week-be), prompt A: Destiny.
> 
> Based on events from the manga when Kagami and Kuroko really first met. I was disappointed it was cut from the anime, but that’s why we have the manga/fan fic, right? 
> 
> In any case, I figured this memory was more of a gray area. Fujimaki showed it in the manga during Kuroko’s retelling of what happened at Teiko, but no one really had a reaction to it, so i wondered if maybe it was something that happened but Kuroko didn’t actually tell/remember it. I hope that makes sense.

Kagami wasn’t the kind to believe in fate or destiny. He just wasn't the type that really believed in that kind of nonsense. He had always kind of believed that your fate was what you made it, and if you faced things head on, and tried your hardest, things would work out exactly as they should. There was no invisible force pushing everyone down a pre-set path. How boring that would have been, anyway?

That said…there were times when he thought that maybe he and Kuroko were meant to meet. Don’t get him wrong, he still didn’t believe in that kind of stuff, but when he thought about it…there was a pretty good case for it when it came to them. Maybe…maybe every once in awhile, fate or destiny or whatever you wanted to call it would just kind of…intervene. Maybe it didn’t control everything just…some things. Things that _needed_ to happen, but couldn’t without the right push. 

Maybe that was just speculation though. There was no actual way to prove that, anyway. 

At least, he didn’t think there was. 

There was a knock at the door of their apartment, and Kuroko got up to answer the door, the mailman standing there with a package for him to sign for. Kagami was confused. He hadn’t ordered anything. Did Kuroko? Didn’t seem like it, given that Kuroko looked slightly confused himself. After Kuroko signed and said goodbye, closing the door, he turned the package over in his hands, looking a bit perplexed. 

“What is it?” 

“I’m not sure. It looks like a package from my mother, though.” 

That actually wasn’t that unusual, ever since they’d started college and moved in together, Kuroko’s mom would send him little care packages every now and then. Just small things. A letter from home, some of his grandmother’s cookies —Which were amazing, by the way. Kagami really needed to get the recipe.—, or a few things that she’d found in the house of Kuroko’s that she thought he would want. Still, the package was oddly shaped for a regular care package from his mother. Kagami tilted his head, looking at it. 

“Maybe you should open it and see what it is.” An obvious suggestion, but hey, didn’t do any good to keep them both wondering, did it? 

Kuroko nodded, carefully pulling on a tab on the box, opening it and retrieving the insides, pulling out something that looked like a book. 

“It’s a photo album.” He said softly, running his hands over the cover. 

“Old family photos?” 

“I think so.” 

He couldn’t say he wasn’t curious. Kagami patted the spot on the couch Kuroko had been occupying next to him before the knock at the door, encouraging him to sit down. “Wanna look at it together?”

Kuroko gave him a small smile. “Sure.”

He moved and sat down next to Kagami, opening the photo album. There was the usual stuff, photos of Kuroko as a little kid —someone that cute should be illegal, in Kagami’s mind—, family pictures at the house or on vacation, there was even a picture of Kuroko from when they took a skiing trip. They were your standard kinds of photos that family took of each other, but Kagami still kind of felt privileged to see them in a way. Then Kuroko turned the page to reveal a photo of him in his uniform from Teiko. 

It looked like his first day. He was smiling, and Kagami figured his mother must have taken the photo to commemorate the day before Kuroko went off to school. It was strange though…something about it seemed familiar. He couldn’t place his finger on what though. He hadn’t seen Teiko’s uniforms before, had he? After all, he hadn’t gone there, and by the time he’d gotten back to Japan, everyone was in their last year and he was at a completely different school, not involved in a basketball club at all. So why did seeing Kuroko like this seem like something he’d seen before? Before this, Kuroko didn’t have many pictures from Teiko that he knew of so it seemed very unlikely that he would have see him dressed like this in other photos…

It took a second, but that’s when it hit him, memories he’d long forgot or put away rushing back to him in one big, crashing wave. 

It was back in middle school, their last year. Sick and tired of being all on his own, Kagami had gone out to practice at one of the public courts to try and get his mind off things. When he got to it, he found someone standing there. Someone…wearing a Teiko uniform like in the picture of Kuroko. 

Kagami paused as more of the memory came back. He remembered asking that someone to move aside if they weren’t going to use the court. He also remember that they seemed…out of it. Like something was wrong. He’d asked them if they played basketball. He remembered a quiet voice answering him. 

_”I guess so…”_

Kagami hadn’t really known the person, but he remembered somewhat trying to encourage them. They just seemed so… _down._ And even if Kagami tried to pretend he didn’t care _that_ much about others, it wasn’t something he was fond of seeing. 

_”Even though it has nothing to do with me…you should continue giving it your best.”_

“Taiga-kun?” Kuroko’s voice brought him back to Earth, Kagami shaking himself for a second. 

“Ah, sorry…I think I was just…remembering something.” 

Kuroko tilted his head. “Oh?”

“Yeah…do…do you remember your last year of middle school?” 

Kuroko hummed and looked down at the photo album. “It wasn’t necessarily a time that was filled with good memories, but yes, I remember a great deal of what happened then.” 

Kagami wasn’t sure how to bring this topic up. After all, Kuroko might not remember. It only just suddenly came back to him. Hell, the person he’d talked to might have just been another student at Teiko who was either third or second string on the basketball club who was just upset they never got to play. In that case, Kuroko might not even know what the hell it was he was talking about. It almost irritated him that he couldn’t remember the person’s face. Just the uniform. 

“Do you remember meeting someone out on a court one night? I know that’s not really specific but…someone who wanted to use the court and…might have told you not to give up just yet?”

Kagami watched as Kuroko looked up, a look of confusion on his face taking a moment before it shifted into a look of realization, his eyes going wide. 

“Now that I think of it, I do remember something like that but…Taiga-kun…you’re not saying…” 

He looked back at Kuroko, his eyes just as wide. “Yeah, I think I am…” 

Kagami wasn’t certain what to say, or even what to do with this realization. The look on Kuroko’s face spoke volumes, though. It was him. That night, the person in the Teiko uniform who he’d spoken to was Kuroko. It was insane to think they’d met a full year before they’d both come to Seirin. They’d met long before they came together as light and shadow. They’d met so long before they discovered that they were so much more than that to one another. That was crazy. As far back as their memories could reach, that small moment in time, almost forgotten, they’d met one another. And even then, something in him made him want to encourage Kuroko, even if he hadn’t even really known him then. 

The look on Kuroko’s face shifted again into something fond, but also overcome with emotion. Before Kagami could say much of anything else, Kuroko set the photo album aside and buried himself in his arms. Kagami wrapped himself around him tightly, burying his face in his hair as he kissed the top of his head, closing his eyes. They were out of words for the moment with this realization, but that was okay. Kagami supposed in a moment like this, they weren’t really all that necessary.

Maybe he was both right and wrong at the same time when it came to how fate worked. Maybe you still made your own fate most of the time. Maybe destiny only intervened when you needed it the most. Kagami wasn’t sure. What he was sure of was that he and Kuroko crossing paths wasn’t just a fluke. They ran into each other, even for that brief moment at the start, when they needed each other the most. It was a hint of the start of something much, much larger. 

They just sat there on the couch for awhile, holding each other close, and Kagami couldn’t help but think that no matter what it was, he was glad it had happened. He was glad they’d met that night, and he was glad that they’d met at Seirin the next year. All of that set the stage for where they were now, and Kagami wouldn’t change that for anything in the world. 

This was exactly where they were meant to be. 

“It was you…” Kuroko’s voice sounded soft, muffled against his chest.

He wasn’t certain what caused a memory that was so small to come back like that. Hell, he was surprised Kuroko had remembered it too, in all honesty. It was such a small moment in time, something one could just easily put away, never to really be thought about again. Though, as Kuroko held him just a little more tightly, Kagami decided it was a good thing that it’d come back to him. 

“Yeah, baby. It was me.”


	13. Amazing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for [KagaKuro Week](http://kagakurominievents.tumblr.com/post/130070915456/tiny-reminder-that-kgkr-week-is-next-week-be), Day 5, prompt B: Admiration.

Kuroko’s amazing, Kagami thinks.

He’ll admit he didn’t realize it when they met. In fact, he thought he was terrible at basketball, telling him he should quit while he was ahead. He regretted that now. He’d been so incredibly wrong, and he was glad that Kuroko hadn’t listened to him.

It wasn’t just about Kuroko’s misdirection. Admittedly, that _was_ pretty incredible all on it’s own. He remembered the first time he’d watched Kuroko from the bench, almost astonished at how he’d managed to direct passes to their other teammates before the other teams could even really respond. Kuroko’s misdirection and passing skill was definitely extraordinary, but there was so much more to Kuroko than the shadow persona he took on every time they stepped onto the court. Kuroko wasn’t the strongest, but he proved to Kagami, and everyone else, you didn’t have to be physically strong to be…well, actually strong.

There were so many things he’d come to admire about his partner. On the court, Kagami couldn’t help but take to his determination, his quick thinking, his sense of fairness. There were times where not only had Kuroko saved him, but pointed out the error in his thinking, keeping him from going down a wrong path. Hell, there’d been a time when he was acting like a total jackass and Kuroko hadn’t been even half hesitant to punch him for it. In the moment, he’d needed it. He hadn’t realized it then, but looking back, he really did.

Kuroko had taught him what it meant to be part of a team, that it didn’t matter if you won if you did it all on your own and you couldn’t share it with anyone. What was victory at that point, he’d asked him. Kagami didn’t have a good answer.

He hadn’t expected to learn as much from Kuroko as he did their first year at Seirin.

Off the court, there was Kuroko’s direct nature. Kagami…had a bad habit of taking what people said at face value. He probably shouldn’t but he saw no reason in pressing or prying and possibly making a situation worse. Sometimes that worked, but a lot of times that came back to bite him in the ass. It didn’t help that there were _always_ subtle things that he would miss. Things that he wouldn’t take for meaning much of anything, until they’d grown into something a lot bigger. That was the thing about Kuroko, though. He didn’t have to guess. Even if he had to wait, Kuroko would eventually tell him what was going on, and Kagami couldn’t help but appreciate that. It lead them to being so much closer than Kagami could have even imagined.

One of the things he admired most, however, was that Kuroko didn’t give up. No matter what it was, even when the chips were down and things looked hopeless, Kuroko stood up and tried to do his best. It made him want to do his best in return, even if things looked impossible. There were times that if Kuroko hadn’t stood up and tried even harder in the face of their opposition, Kagami wasn’t sure he would have been able to do the same. You could even say that seeing Kuroko work as hard as he could inspired him, especially after knowing everything Kuroko had been through in the past.

Maybe it would seem strange from the outside, to see someone like himself admiring Kuroko, who didn’t look even halfway as strong as he was, but anyone making that judgement just wouldn’t understand. They wouldn’t know Kuroko like he did. Kuroko was amazing, and even as embarrassing as it might have been to say such a thing aloud (he was never good with stuff like that), Kagami would say so until he was blue in the face, if he had to.

“Kagami-kun?”

Kagami started out of his train of thought, realizing once again that they were on the bus, ready to head back from a game. Kuroko blinked up at him.

“Are you alright? The rest of the team suggested Maji Burger for dinner, but you haven’t answered.”

Kagami felt his face growing hot as he realized that he’d been sitting here, staring at Kuroko this whole time.

“Ah, s-sorry. Yeah, Maji Burger sounds good.”

Kuroko gave him a small smile before looking back to their coach and giving her a nod, confirming that yes, everyone was in agreement over going to Maji before returning his gaze back at him, studying him with a look that made Kagami blush even darker.

“You seemed very deep in thought. Kagami-kun should be careful or he might hurt himself.”

“OI!”

Kagami playfully nudged Kuroko, and Kuroko gave him a small smile.

Little shit.

 _Amazing_ little shit.


	14. Grateful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for [KagaKuro Week](http://kagakurominievents.tumblr.com/post/130070915456/tiny-reminder-that-kgkr-week-is-next-week-be), Day 6, prompt A: Gratitude.

He really is grateful for Kagami.

The thought hits Kuroko late at night as they settled down into bed together after a long day. They’d both had a long day of college courses, and Kuroko could tell they were both pretty exhausted as they settled between the sheets together, turning off the lights on their nightstands and saying goodnight. Kagami gathered him close as he often did when they settled in to sleep, tucking him under his chin. Kuroko can help but smile to himself and snuggle into his chest with a soft sigh, the contact easing away all the stress that had gathered over the day.

There were so many reasons he was thankful for his light. Too many to count, maybe. Admittedly, he really had no idea they would be here when they first met. When he first met him, Kagami seemed like this big, intimidating, brash, loud returnee who didn’t seem to want to have much to do with him, let alone play basketball with him, but somehow, Kuroko knew better. They did hit a few bumps at first just as friends, but when that was sorted and they came together, wonderful things happened. This trust that they now had in each other, carefully crafted during their years in high school, was now unshakable, and who Kagami was happened to be a large part of that in Kuroko’s mind.

It seemed pretty obvious to Kuroko that the trust and faith they had in each other made the perfect foundation for what they had now. Once they’d ironed out all the wrinkles in their partnership, Kagami not only trusted him completely, but he encouraged him, kept him going, even when things seemed darkest. He wasn’t always the best with words or the most tactful at times, that much was true, but when it counted, Kagami at least tried to hold him up. In doing so, Kagami had given him the strength to go on when he needed that the most, and helped him to accomplish the goal of making those he once called his friends recognize his style of basketball. That was incredibly important all on it’s own, but when they started a romantic relationship, becoming much more than friends or partners, Kuroko started to notice other things he was thankful for. Kagami had this warmhearted nature that seemed to show itself more intensely when they got together, and that was a fact that hadn’t slipped past him.

Maybe noticed was the wrong word, though. Kuroko had always been aware of Kagami’s kind, gentle side. Even as friends, he’d often looked out for him, taken care of him. Thinking about it, Kuroko’s mind would go back to the time he almost passed out at the hot springs. On that particular instance, Kagami had carefully picked him up, gotten him dressed, gotten a cool cloth for his head, and even gone to pick up his favorite sports drink when the vending machine was out, instead of asking him if he would have just liked something else.

There were other times along the way where Kagami had taken care of him too, of course. Bringing his jacket when he was outside and it was “too cold outside to be running around without a coat, idiot”, making food for him on nights when he’d come over to help him study for exams, calling out to others when he needed someone’s attention but his low presence just couldn’t command it, running _just_ a little slower during practices to keep him company when he was at the back of the pack… He’d deny that it was anything left and right, but Kuroko was still thankful for him, and his kind side all the same, even if Kagami wasn’t one to acknowledge it a whole lot.

When they got together, though, more of this started to become visible. Kagami almost even seemed…a touch protective of him. Nothing smothering, of course. Kuroko still had the freedom to do as he pleased. Kagami knew when to let him do things on his own, and always trusted that he would return to him, but Kagami seemed to look out for him even more now that they’d become a couple. It was almost to a point where Kuroko wasn’t sure how he’d gotten along without him before. To be fair he was sure he still could, but the fact of the matter was, he didn’t want to.

In all honesty, Kagami spoiled him these days, and it made Kuroko want to spoil him right back. He truly felt lucky to have someone like Kagami in his life. If he ever told him, his light would probably just blush a bit and shrug saying that it was nothing, that there were just some things you did when you loved someone, but that didn’t stop Kuroko from being grateful for him.

Honestly…he was certain he’d always be grateful for having Kagami in his life.

Kagami pulled him from his thoughts by snuggling him a little closer, nuzzling into his hair and sleepily muttering something unintelligible into it, causing Kuroko to smile again and press a gentle kiss against his chest. Admittedly, before their relationship, Kuroko had never pictured him to be much of a cuddler, but he supposed that was just another part of his warm, sweet side that only truly came into view just for him. Along with being thankful, Kuroko couldn’t help but feel almost…privileged to see it. He knew that not many had the chance to see his light’s true side, even if they got glimpses of it along the way.

Kuroko nuzzled at his chest, placing his ear over Kagami’s heartbeat, listening to the steady ‘thud, thud, thud’ of it. He knew Kagami was already down for the count, completely given over to sleep, classes having been particularly grueling today, but all the same, Kuroko couldn’t help but speak to him in a small whisper, finally closing his eyes.

“Thank you. Thank you for everything, Taiga-kun.” He softly breathed out as sleep came to claim him as well.

“I love you.”


	15. One More Page

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for [KagaKuro Week](http://kagakurominievents.tumblr.com/post/130070915456/tiny-reminder-that-kgkr-week-is-next-week-be), Day 7, prompt A/B: Free Day.
> 
> Incredibly short, but I loved the mental image too much not to write it.

Just one more page.

One more page and he’d turn in for the night, Kuroko told himself. It was hard not to get wrapped up in his books, so sometimes “one more page” turned into another chapter. Or two. Or three. Sometimes he found himself reading until the sun came up, though that rarely happened these days. These days, he usually waited until Kagami came to bed, then he would put a bookmark wherever he’d stopped, turn off the lights, and snuggle under the blankets with him.

Which was what he planned on tonight, except he hadn’t counted on his book reaching it’s turning point and getting extremely interesting as Kagami made his way into the bedroom after having brushed his teeth. So instead of putting up his book, Kuroko read on, lifting an arm as Kagami crawled into bed with him. Kagami slid under the covers and snuggled close up against his side, Kuroko wrapping an arm around him, gently playing with his hair as he nuzzled into his shoulder.

“Mm…ready to sleep yet?” Kagami murmured already sounding a bit sleepy. It was true that they’d both had a very long day. Sleep hadn’t fully caught up with Kuroko yet, but Kagami sounded ready himself.

“I think I will be soon. I want to finish this chapter. There doesn’t seem to be a good stopping place until the end of it.” Kuroko said softly.

Kagami hummed in reply. “Mmkay.”

Kagami didn’t say much after that, but that was okay. Kuroko knew he was fine with letting him find a good stopping point in his book before deciding to turn in for the night. He did lift his head and place a kiss on Kuroko’s cheek before snuggling back in and closing his eyes, and Kuroko couldn’t help but smile to himself as he attempted to finish the chapter he was on.

Letting his fingers absent-mindedly, continually drift through Kagami’s hair, Kuroko finished the chapter he was reading. Eventually he bookmarked his spot, closing the book and setting on the nightstand, then looking down at Kagami who was now sleeping soundly against him, eyes closed and looking peaceful.

He always looked so handsome like that.

Kuroko didn’t move at first, just watching him sleep comfortably against him. The sight made him feel warm inside. Seeing Kagami peaceful and content looking always seemed to have that effect on him. In all honesty, it made him feel peaceful and content as well. In this case, there was maybe also just a tiny bit of pride too over the fact that Kagami had been so comfortable against him that he’d fallen asleep in his arms so quickly.

Smiling to himself, Kuroko leaned in, gently kissing Kagami’s forehead, Kagami mumbling something nonsensical in his sleep and cuddling a bit closer. Carefully reaching over, Kuroko turned off the light on their nightstand and settled in, holding him close. It was the little things sometimes that were comforting. Having Kagami come to bed, curling up against him, finding peace in their bed together enough to drift off as he read…something about that was warm, almost reassuring in a way that he couldn’t put words to.

Maybe it was the fact that Kagami found peace in him, just as he found peace in Kagami.

“Goodnight, Taiga-kun.” Kuroko whispered, closing his eyes. Almost in reply, he felt Kagami’s arms gently wrap just a little more tightly around him, making Kuroko sigh a little in contentment. It didn’t matter whether he read a book or went straight to bed…feeling safe and secure in Kagami’s arms always helped him get to sleep.


End file.
